


The second most beautiful thing

by Melime



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Accidental Love Confessions, Alien Rituals, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 07:17:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13429671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime
Summary: Kirk confronts Spock after a confession made under the influence of alien substances.





	The second most beautiful thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ElanorTheFair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElanorTheFair/gifts).
  * Translation into Português brasileiro available: [A segunda coisa mais linda](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13429680) by [Melime GreenLeaf (Melime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime%20GreenLeaf)



Kirk stopped in front of Spock’s room, just beyond the sensor that would alert him to Kirk’s presence. He wasn’t sure what he should do, what would the right course of action be. He knew Spock wanted to be left alone, hoping perhaps to forget what had happened, but every instinct Kirk had told him that this was the last thing Spock needed at the moment.

Spock was raised to believe that every emotion should be suppressed, that the faintest displays of emotion were shameful, even dangerous. But he was half human too, and to be human meant sometimes having to deal with one’s feelings instead of hiding them away. Spock wasn’t the only one to be embarrassed by the effects of the festival on the planet’s surface, but by refusing to address this, he became the only one Kirk was worried about. Especially because of Kirk’s role in this.

\---

The natives had invited them to their festival of lights, a great honor, as the away team was lead to believe. Kirk was already inclined to accept, not wanting to upset their hosts, but Spock’s desire to analyze the phenomenon was what made him take his final decision. Both Bones and Spock had concluded that there was no harmful radiation involved, just that planet’s equivalent to the Northern lights, something beautiful and scientifically interesting, but safe.

What they didn’t account for was the candles, burning all around them, emitting a faint aroma that was nearly impossible to classify. ‘To open one’s mind to the beauty all around them’, one of the natives had explained, but only after the festival was over. They lacked any ill-intent, their oversight was just that, an oversight, as they never before had foreigners participate in their festival.

Bones brought some samples back to analyze on the ship, but found no lasting residue of the chemical in any of the crew, and as far as he could tell, it only acted in decreasing inhibitions and enhancing natural beauties. For most of the members of the away team, that only meant making embarrassing comments about how the lights were the most beautiful thing they had ever seen, and some even more embarrassing comments - albeit for some not out of character enough to be blamed solely on the candles’ smoke - about how beautiful the natives were.

If that was all, the incident would merit only a note in the mission report and no further thought, but things could never be so simple. As it were, the only silver lining was that he seemed to be the only other person to have heard what Spock said, and that probably was what Spock intended.

\---

Kirk was many things, not all of them good, but he was no coward, and he wouldn’t stay the rest of the night in front of his first officer’s door too scared to face the consequences of what had happened. If Spock wanted to ignore what he said, then he would have to say that to his face. He stepped forward a couple centimeters, activating the sensor that would tell Spock someone was at the door.

\---

Kirk didn’t expect the lights to be so amazing. He had seen other similar phenomena, but never like this.

“Isn’t that the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” he asked Spock, mostly to tease him, hoping Spock would say something about how aesthetic values are relative or something equally Spockian.

What he didn’t expect was Spock staring intently are him, and whispering into his ear, “The second most beautiful thing, ashayam.”

Kirk blushed before he even knew what the word meant, the intent clear in the way Spock had said it. He didn’t respond then, didn’t know what to say, and after the festival was over, Spock had avoided him, and everyone else.

\---

When the door opened, Spock was on the other side, stoic as ever. “Captain, is there anything you need?”

Kirk had a whole speech planned, but the words escaped him now. He stepped inside without asking for permission, Spock wouldn’t want to do this in the hallway anyway.

“I know what you said.” It was a terrible way to start this. “I mean, I looked it up. On the database. I looked up what that meant.”

“Captain, I assure you my words weren’t intentional, I was under the influence of…”

“You are not under the influence now.”

Spock eyed him with curiosity. “No, I’m not.”

“So, did you mean it?”

“Captain…”

Kirk took a step closer. “Don’t ‘Captain’ me. Just tell me the truth.”

“It’s not appropriate.”

“But you did.”

Spock paused, closing his eyes for just a moment too long, as if to gather strength, or maybe courage. “Vulcan’t don’t lie.”

It wasn’t what Kirk was expecting, it wasn’t an admission, but it would have to be good enough.

Kirk closed the distance between them, placing a hand on the back of Spock’s head.

“Good, because I’m in love with you, and I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”

For his surprise, Spock closed the distance between them, kissing him softly.

Kirk would have to remember to send the natives a thank you note.


End file.
